Bruins sweep major awards; have 11 chosen as All-NSAA, 4 as Gold Glovers
Derik Bontempo, Ben McKendall, Colten Barnes, and Duane Monlux were all honored as major awards winners in the NSAA end of season awards program
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The North Star Athletic Association Regular-Season Champion Bellevue University baseball team swept all four major awards in the NSAA's end of season awards program. The Bruins landed a conference-best seven players on the All-NSAA First Team and four more on the All-NSAA Second Team. Additionally, a league-high four Bruins earned mention on the NSAA Gold Glove Team.
Senior Derik Bontempo was named the NSAA Player of the Year, senior Ben McKendall was tabbed as the NSAA Pitcher of the Year, junior Colten Barnes was honored as the NSAA Newcomer of the Year, and head coach Duane Monlux earned distinction as the NSAA Coach of the Year.
The seven players selected as First Team All-NSAA included six seniors with catcher Jake Browne (West Richland, Wash.), second baseman Miles Campbell (New Cumberland, Pa.), outfielder Derik Bontempo (Federal Way, Wash.), outfielder Joe Moran (Scottsbluff, Neb.), pitcher Ben McKendall (Los Angeles, Calif.), and pitcher Todd Nicks (Bakersfield, Calif.) as well as junior pitcher Colten Barnes (University Place, Wash.).
Second Team All-NSAA selections were senior first baseman Todd Nicks (Bakersfield, Calif.) and a trio of juniors in third baseman Matt Evans (Omaha, Neb.), shortstop Diego Iribarren (Barquisimeto, Venezuela), and pitcher Zach Wilson (Denton, Texas).
BU players that were named to the Gold Glove Team were catcher Jake Browne (West Richland, Wash.), third baseman Matt Evans (Omaha, Neb.), right fielder Joe Moran (Scottsbluff, Neb.), and pitcher Ben McKendall (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Junior pitchers Max Dwyer (Vancouver, Wash.) and Reid Feeley (Tehachapi, Calif.) were both named as honorable mention selections.
Bellevue (47-7, 23-1 NSAA) begins their post-season journey tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Presentation College in the first round of the 2017 NSAA Baseball Tournament.
Below is the entire list of All-Conference and Gold Glove Winners:
2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference First Team
| Pos. | Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| C | Jake Browne | Bellevue | Senior | West Richland, Wash. |
| C | Quinn Irey | Jamestown | Junior | Bismarck, N.D. |
| 1B | Brady Nygaard | Mayville State | Sophomore | Mayville, N.D. |
| 2B | Miles Campbell | Bellevue | Senior | New Cumberland, Pa. |
| 2B | Drake Yoshioka | Mayville State | Senior | Waipahu, Hawaii |
| 3B | Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State | Senior | Anchorage, Alaska |
| SS | Jared Meiklejohn | Valley City State | Senior | LaMoure, N.D. |
| IF | Brady Anderson | Valley City State | Senior | Jamestown, N.D. |
| DH | Jose Guzman | Mayville State | Senior | Hollister, Calif. |
| OF | Derik Bontempo | Bellevue | Senior | Federal Way, Wash. |
| OF | Jacob Cuch | Dickinson State | Junior | Aridrie, Alberta |
| OF | Dondrei Hubbard | Mayville State | Junior | Houston, Texas |
| OF | Joe Moran | Bellevue | Senior | Scottsbluff, Neb. |
| SP | Ben McKendall | Bellevue | Senior | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| SP | Jerome Byndloss | Jamestown | Junior | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| SP | Todd Nicks | Bellevue | Senior | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| SP | Colten Barnes | Bellevue | Junior | University Place, Wash. |
| RP | Eric Evans | Jamestown | Senior | Weyburn, Sask. |
2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Second Team
| Pos. | Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| C | Riley MacDonald | Waldorf | Junior | North Vancouver, B.C. |
| C | Ben Bruenjes | Valley City State | Senior | West Fargo, N.D. |
| 1B | Todd Nicks | Bellevue | Senior | Bakersfield, Calif. |
| 2B | Peter Pennylegion | Jamestown | Junior | Ferndale, Wash. |
| 3B | Matt Evans | Bellevue | Junior | Omaha, Neb. |
| SS | Diego Iribarren | Bellevue | Junior | Barquisimeto, Venezuela |
| IF | Landon Uetz | Jamestown | Senior | West Fargo, N.D. |
| DH | Garrett Jewell | Winnipeg | Junior | Cambridge, Ont. |
| OF | Taichi Sasaki | Jamestown | Junior | Sakai, Osaka, Japan |
| OF | Micquel Robinson | Dickinson State | Junior | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| OF | Ethan Bell | Viterbo | Senior | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| OF | Anthony Necochea | Valley City State | Senior | Hemet, Calif. |
| SP | Kody Rock | Mayville State | Senior | Canora, Sask. |
| SP | Zach Mahoney | Mayville State | Senior | Fargo, N.D. |
| SP | Andrew Frank | Valley City State | Junior | Romoland, Calif. |
| SP | Zach Wilson | Bellevue | Junior | Denton, Texas |
| RP | Jacob Torgerson | Mayville State | Senior | Morris, Minn. |
NSAA Baseball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Derik Bontempo – Bellevue (Neb.)
Pitcher of the Year: Ben McKendall – Bellevue (Neb.)
Newcomer of the Year: Colten Barnes – Bellevue (Neb.)
Coach of the Year: Duane Monlux – Bellevue (Neb.)
2017 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Gold Glove Team
| Pos. | Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| C | Jake Browne | Bellevue | Senior | West Richland, Wash. |
| 1B | Tyler Ludlow | Jamestown | Junior | Port Orchard, Wash. |
| 2B | Peter Pennylegion | Jamestown | Junior | Ferndale, Wash. |
| 3B | Matt Evans | Bellevue | Junior | Omaha, Neb. |
| SS | Jared Meiklejohn | Valley City State | Senior | LaMoure, N.D. |
| LF | Kory Wolden | Jamestown | Junior | West Fargo, N.D. |
| CF | Anthony Necochea | Valley City State | Senior | Hemet, Calif. |
| RF | Joe Moran | Bellevue | Senior | Scottsbluff, Neb. |
| P | Ben McKendall | Bellevue | Senior | Los Angeles, Calif. |